“India has not pulled back troops from the Doklam face-off with the People’s Liberation Army,” said sources.

Indian sources rejected China’s claim that the number of Indian soldiers at the confrontation site has gone down from 400 soldiers to just over 40 by the end of July.

The Chinese foreign ministry made it pretty clear with a 15- page statement that India has violated rules. According to the statements, they presented with maps, documents and photographs, India did not just trespass Indian soldiers violating China’s territorial sovereignty but also challenged Bhutan’s sovereignty and independence.

The statement seemed to give an impression that the Doklam crisis in Bhutanese territory near the Sikkim- Bhutan- Tibet tri-junction had begun to de-escalate with India backing down from the confrontation after 45 days.

A recent talk between the national security advisor Ajit Doval and Yang Jiechi in Beijing gave a clear picture that a line has been drawn between India and Bhutan.

Brushing all this aside, India seems to be reluctant in pointing out that China has violated and unilaterally broken the status quo by constructing a motorable road in the Doklam area. The same road that was blocked by Indian troops on June 18.

They say that this violated the 2012 pact between the countries that the tri-junction boundary points would be finalized in consultation with Bhutan.

The statement that the Chinese gave seemed to be an attempt to point fingers at India mentioning that India has been a real aggressor in the Doklam dispute. On the other hand, sources say that India tried protecting Bhutan, defending the little country from China.

Two bulldozers and 300-350 Indian soldiers are still maintaining their non-aggressive vigil at the face- off site in Doklam. And the sources say that there has been no reduction in the troops in the area.

Apart from this, over 6,000 soldiers are deployed under 63 and 112 Brigades in the east and north-east Sikkim, the Indian Army has moved up another 2,500 soldiers from the 164 Brigade to Zuluk and Nathang Valley. These have been moved up as reinforcements.

We guess why China has issues?

The source said, “The China-Bhutan boundary issue is one between China and Bhutan. It has nothing to do with India. As a third party, India has no right to interfere in or impede the boundary talks between China and Bhutan, still less the right to make territorial claims on Bhutan’s behalf.”

But China is sure to give a statement as vague as, “India’s arguments have no factual or legal grounds at all and are simply untenable.” They accuse India of trying to invent various excuses to justify its illegal action while Beijing mentions that the dispute had nothing to do with India.